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Title: All the Trouble in the World: The Lighter Side of Overpopulation, Famine, Ecological Disaster, Ethnic Hatred, Plague, and Poverty by P. J. O'Rourke, P. J. C'Rourke ISBN: 0-87113-580-9 Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press Pub. Date: October, 1994 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.56 (34 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Funny...but not convincing.
Comment: Before I go on: Yes, I'm a liberal--I had to read this book in a English Comp II class taught by a libertarian professor.
O'Rourke's analysis, while scathingly funny, falls short of the mark due to sheer lack of evidence. His essay skewering environmentalism, for instance, provides NO scientific evidence for his claims (which was also a criticism levied by my professor). The pollution essay provides merely circumstancial evidence, and O'Rourke even admits he gave up trying to write about plague in Hatiti, and goes to talk about his visit to the black market and a voodoo shrine (which, I will admit, is terribly interesting).
Look, I think O'Rourke is hysterical. His one-liners are great, and yeah, he makes a few points. But the guy doesn't offer solid evidence, and the way he treats EVERY SINGLE liberal as a communist sympathizer is annoying.
Of course, if you do lean to the libertarian/fringe Republican side of the political spectrum then this review won't matter. For the rest of us, I give you fair warning.
It is fair to note that the book was last published in 1994, so it is rather out of date, if you are interested in purchasing it.
Rating: 4
Summary: Entertaining and Intelligent
Comment: It's always a pleasure to read a witty conservative, if only to know that those who think conservatives are a bunch of cold scolds might learn that it is possible to address serious issues and have a sense of humor. Of course the very fact that O'Rourke finds humor in the temple of "world crises" will convince those people that conservatives can be worse than cold scolds -- they even laugh in the face of serious problems.
All The Trouble in the World focuses P.J. O'Rourke's biting satire and sarcasm on several topics that were hot in the early 1990's (and still are): overpopulation, famine, ecological apocalypse, multiculturalism, and miserable third world regimes that hide their brutality and failure behind the facade of socialism and first world envy.
Interspersed behind the barbs and wise-guy cracks are usually thoughtful analysis and intelligent criticism. For example, he compares Bangladesh with Fresno, California. Both have the same density, but find themselves in dramatically different conditions. While Bangladesh has some problems not found in Fresno, O'Rourke argues it's lack of free markets and a creaking bureaucracy overwhelm what had historically been a pretty productive population. Of course, his travels there set the stage for many humorous observations and situations (The Ministry of Jute -- Monty Python would have had a time with that one).
Some of the best chapters focus on our own living room liberals: those whose mission it is to save America from itself. Two chapters on multiculturalism and the world environmental movement show the length to which people who think of themselves as liberal have really become authoritarians who brook no dissent (nor inconvenient facts) in their quest to make the world right by their mind. The jokes just write themselves in these chapters -- there is such a gulf between some of these people and the real world (not to mention freedom and the Constitution) -- that one alternates between laughter and amazement when reading of what is being done "for" us by those who don't trust us.
Sometimes the humor wears -- I get the same feeling when reading Dave Berry. A little time between chapters keeps the material more fresh and sharp. But O'Rourke undergirds all of his criticisms (this is a critical analysis) with facts and thoughtful arguments. He doesn't necessarily have all the answers, but he does have a different and refreshing perspective.
Rating: 5
Summary: Skewer the liberals and roast their ideas.
Comment: P.J. O'Rourke gets it right. First time and everytime. I appreciate the logical perspective he puts on his selected issues. From population to pollution, he shows the liberal slant in reporting is not reality. Funny how the population of Bangladesh is frightening, but not in Fremont, California, though both places have the same density. O'Rourke has a fun writing style and a propensity to use words that makes many readers cringe as they reach for their dictionaries. The man is truely a master of his craft.
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Title: Eat the Rich by P. J. O'Rourke ISBN: 0871137607 Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press Pub. Date: September, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government by P. J. O'Rourke, Andrew Ferguson ISBN: 0802139701 Publisher: Grove Press Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Holidays in Hell by P. J. O'Rourke ISBN: 0802137016 Publisher: Grove Press Pub. Date: July, 2000 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Modern Manners: An Etiquette Book for Rude People by P. J. O'Rourke ISBN: 087113375X Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press Pub. Date: June, 1990 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Give War a Chance by P.J. O'Rourke ISBN: 0679742018 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 27 April, 1993 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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